presents

It was supposed to be the granddaddy of all Star Trek conventions — and wound up as the mother of all meltdowns.

This is how one weekend in June, 1982, saw the rise and fall, and rise again of a dream. How one ambitious Houston fan and his band of friends sold the dream — the first-ever, all-cast Star Trek extravaganza — complete with laser shows, orchestral hoopla, and a revolving arena stage…

And then just failed to sell the tickets.

Or … was it really that simple?

A saga worth saving

It’s a car wreck of a story: a mysterious “sellout” status told to would-be ticket buyers … con staff who go into shock when the truth is revealed … fans wrongly kicked out of their hotel rooms … dealers who “pass the hat” to keep the doors open … the incredible “burning planet” … and the unsuspecting Hollywood veterans who walk into this PR nightmare.

It’s also a personal story: my first coming-of-age con road trip — and I’m thrilled, after all this time, to preserve it for the ages in my first documentary film project, “THE CON OF WRATH” (what fans were already calling it by weekend’s end … just a couple weeks after the smash debut of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan).

You can help

We’re interviewing the orignal crew who built the dream, saw it implode (in somes cases, literally!), and then did their damnedest to carry it out anyway. We’ve gone back to the old Shamrock Hilton Convention Center in Houston to round up tales of hope and horrror from as many volunteers, dealers, hotel vendors and of course attendees as possible.

Of course, the Hollywood contingent had their own heroics, and so far producer Harve Bennett, George “Sulu” Takei, Walter “Chekov” Koenig, Nichelle “Uhuru” Nichols, and Wende Doohan (widow of Jimmy “Scotty”) are aboard to help recount their own disaster in all its glory.

Were YOU there?

Are you a survivor of “The Con of Wrath”? Do you have pics or video to share, or even vivid memories? Email Larry and be part of the record to assure your place in one of fandom’s most infamous moments.

Donate — and take some credit!

Our budget is modest, but travel, expenses, and even minimum post-production zazzle do add up. You can help! As a thank you, check out THE CON OF WRATH swag package for each level of giving.

ALL DONORS WILL ALSO GET A SCREEN CREDIT!

You’ve heard my Trek stories and read my research all these years, so you know I love this stuff — and that you can donate with confidence. Won’t you help preserve this crazy corner of Trek history, and let us Make it So?

$100 pledge pkg., plus a limited edition hard cover copy of the continuity script of The Con of Wrath, signed and personalized by the producers, as well as a DVD of the film with exclusive limited edition footage.

We collect donations via Paypal, so you know it is safe and secure. This also provides your contact information so we can get your screen credit correct and get your gifts to you — but all information will otherwise remain confidential.

However, you can always send a check instead, using our mailing address below.

(Donors who wish to remain anonymous and/or waive gifts can also mail a check or money order, and indicate their wishes.)

I am sincerely appreciative of each and every gift, and grateful to have you along for even a small part of this process. Please note that any donation made here is solely a contribution, however, and does not signify or purchase ownership or equity in THE CON OF WRATH in any way. We offer these gifts, as do PBS and NPR telethon stations, for example, as a physical and collectible token of gratitude for your taking part. Thank-you gifts will be distributed upon delivery of the film, or as soon as possible — obviously, in the case of DVDs and scripts. I must make the caveat that no donations can be returned in the unlikely, worst-case event that the film not come to pass, but that is not our intention—and all completed premiums will be disbursed in any case.

Again, none of us would be working on this project as a labor of love if we did not believe it had a future and great possibilities. And those of you who know my work—eight years of Communicator magazine, the TNG Companion, Trekland, Star Trek: Stellar Cartography, Star Trek Continues, OKC’s ThunderCon, the Fact Files, the Blu-ray/DVD features, the special projects like World Tour and The Experience—can believe in any project that has my name on it.

Finally, thank you!

I’ve never sought funding for a project before, so I can’t say it enough: Thanks for your interest, your trust, and your passion for Star Trek, its people and fandom, and for helping to preserve even more of the incredible history that’s made us what we are today — wacky though it may be!

Thanks also to our crew — cameraman/ DP Neal Hallford, editor David Dobson, artist Kevin Hopkins and more — and to all the folks in Houston, Hollywood and elsewhere who were a part of the original event.

• Initial Portal 47 signup is a 12-month agreement, with the courtesy of $27 monthly automatic billing through PayPal on the same day of each month as sign-up. After 12 months you have the option of continuing month to month at your discretion.

• The content and material used in all Portal 47 events, discussions and mailings is proprietary information and you agree not to share it with anyone other than under Fair Use terms (brief clips, limited quotes, or watermarked images). This not only protects your deep-diving value, but that of all your fellow “Portales.”

• During Roundtable or other telebriefings recordings or live events with member participation, you also agree to release your audio and video (if webcam enabled).

Please let us know where to send info on how to join our free Portal47 Open House Telebriefing session.